Stage win and overall lead for Aleksandr Vlasov at the Tour of Valencia

Remco Evenepoel lost the race lead after Vlasov went on the attack on the gravel section with 2 kms to go

Stage three of the Tour of Valencia was the queen stage of the race. Six categorised climbs, a steep gravel ramp to the finish and a total of more than 3600 metres of climbing promised a tough day in the mountains of Valencia

The breakaway of the day was caught with five kilometres to go, Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) the last to be swept up from the day's breakawy that contained; Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R Citroën), Sven Erik Bystrøm, Dimitri Claeys (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Lars van den Berg, Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ), Kenny Molly (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) and Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo).

Aleksandr Vlasov launched his attack on the steep gravel section two kilometres from the finish line from a group containing Mas, Evenepoel and Fuglsang and immediately gained an advantage. Aleksandr took a phenomenal solo stage win and the overall lead of the race.

Remco Evenepoel crossed the line 8th at 41 seconds and he conceded his yellow jersey to Vlasov. Evenepoel was at the head of the chasing group with Mas, Fuglsang et al beneath the flamme rouge, but he cracked horribly in the final kilometre. He battled to limit his losses as best he could, but he shakes his head as he rolls through the finish area.

After being involved in a crash yesterday, Wilco Kelderman did not start today's stage. He is not seriously injured but suffered some bruises and abrasions. In light of his upcoming goals, the decision was taken to focus on a quick recovery and his next races. After a crash in the peloton on today's stage, Matthew Walls also had to leave the race. 

Aleksandr Vlasov said after his stage win, "It was super steep and tough on the final climb but I like that kind of climbs. In the end I could take the win and the overall lead which I’m really happy about. I’ve seen a video of the climb and I immediately knew that I would launch my attack in those steep gravel ramps. An important victory for me and a great debut at BORA - hansgrohe. I guess that’s a good base to build on for the next goals."

Stage 4 at the Tour of Valencia looks promising for the fast men. Although the distance between Orihuela and Torrevieja is merely 33 kilometres, the race adds up to 193 kilometres and shoudl see a aprint finish.

VIDEO: Tour of Valencia Stage 3

Tour of Valencia GC after Stage 3

1          Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Bora-Hansgrohe      12:28:39
2          Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team       0:00:32
3          Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers        0:00:36
4          Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team      0:00:50
5          Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team     0:01:02
6          Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Israel Start-Up Nation 0:01:05
7          Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Bahrain Victorious 0:01:14
8          Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo  0:01:20
9          Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Ineos Grenadiers           0:02:05
10        David de la Cruz (Spa) Astana Qazaqstan Team       0:02:28

Tour of Valencia Stage 3 Top 10

1          Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Bora – Hansgrohe   4:02:17
2          Carlos Rodriguez (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers      0:00:14
3          Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar Team        0:00:21
4          Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain Victorious           0:00:29
5          Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
6          Jakob Fulgsang (Den) Israel-Premier Tech    0:00:32
7          Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo  0:00:35
8          Remco Evenepoel (Bel) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl       0:00:41
9          Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Bahrain - Victorious                         
10        David De La Cruz (Spa) Astana Qazaqstan Team     0:00:50